# Best online cigar website?



## Sam_Whang (Jan 7, 2013)

Hey guys -- need some advice

I've been buying a ridiculous amount of cigars at the local B&B and I've super wary of buying online -- where would you guys recommend I shop?? Box of 1964 Padron Imperials are close to $500 at the shop but $380 online pretty much everywhere -- I want to support my shop for individual smokes but for box purchases I'd like to save some money

I've allocated $300 a month on cigars only and I've determined regardless of where I buy from I"ll be letting the cigars rest for 2 weeks before I actually touch any of them --quality/customer support is more important than price for me so -- Any advice / recommendations would be appreciated 


Sam


----------



## jhedrick83 (Dec 4, 2012)

If you set some guidelines for yourself, cigarbid . Com can't be beat, cigars international and Famous smoke have some great prices/deals/freebies sometimes as well.

If you are looking for HTF cigars you can get them from some of the guys on Puff that have shops. Personally I have had a great experience getting them from a guy named Spencer ( user name: @sh40218 ), fast service and great prices.


----------



## fenlon (Jan 23, 2013)

jhedrick83 said:


> If you set some guidelines for yourself, cigarbid . Com


Nearly impossible. I was away for two years, and like an addict, back at it again.

I will second Cigars International. Great selection and prices are very reasonable. Free shipping codes can usually be found.


----------



## jhedrick83 (Dec 4, 2012)

fenlon said:


> Nearly impossible.


:rofl:yeah, I just meant in terms of how high you will go on a bid.


----------



## Sam_Whang (Jan 7, 2013)

Thanks guys - Cigars International - Famous Smoke -- haven't been on cigar. bid but I"ll definitely check it out


----------



## B-daddy (Oct 29, 2012)

I have experice ordering from Cbid, CI, and Famous. 

Because I've never had any problems with customer services from any of the online retailers I've mentioned, I'm rating their customer service:

Cbid=CI=Famous (I've heard good things about Smoke Inn's customer service but I've never ordered from them.)

On price, I've found that: Cbid < CI = Famous < Smoke Inn (But this does vary based on the brand your ordering.)


----------



## jhedrick83 (Dec 4, 2012)

If your order off of Famous, always click through the coupons, there is almost always something worth it that you can get for free or an additional $10-$50 off your order.


----------



## sjcruiser36 (Dec 20, 2012)

I'll second (or third) cigarbid.com, Cigar.com and Cigar International, and I'll add Holt's to the mix. I have placed online orders with each, and have been to Holt's B&M, and have been pleased with the prices, shipping, and arrival of the cigars I ordered. I placed an order with Holt's on yesterday, and received a call that the item was on back order. The sales rep. recommended other sticks, or a different size to the one ordered. I took her up on one of each stick (3 total), and kept the order in for the ones ordered online.


----------



## Bad Andy (Jul 16, 2011)

I've really enjoyed ordering with Smoke Inn. Great customer service.


----------



## Dread (Oct 16, 2009)

Pipesandcigars.com is by far the best in my opinion


----------



## tokenindian (Jan 25, 2013)

Bad Andy said:


> I've really enjoyed ordering with Smoke Inn. Great customer service.


+1, they've always treated me right. Great customer service, quick shipping, and quality inventory. Just stinks that they don't offer single cigars, otherwise I'd buy all my cigars from them.


----------



## nfusion770 (Apr 1, 2011)

I have been a heavy internet shopper in every regard for about 15 years, so that goes for cigars as well. I have actually never had a problem with any online cigar vendor other than being out of stock once or twice (I actually don't think I have ever been screwed by any online vendor of any sort, actually). I have ordered from Famous/ Cigar Monster, Cigars International, Emersons, Tampa Sweethearts, Thompson Cigar, Tex Cigars, Cigarplace and BNB. Some places have better prices than others and some seems to stock different things, but all of them are legit. I should probably check out CB too but I am generally more of a "But it Now' type.

Edit- I should also disclaim that I never really do anything but purchase form these companies. I can't remember ever having a problem or needing customer service so I guess it depends on your needs.


----------



## orion1 (Sep 18, 2012)

Check out Atlantic Cigar Company and Small Batch Cigars. I have ordered from both and they are great. I use Famous but their prices are just a little higher than others. I go to my B&M only for singles.


----------



## Bruck (Jan 8, 2013)

For the relatively inexpensive sticks that I smoke, cigarbid.com is my go-to etailer, and I also like cigars international. I'd stay away from Thompson though - they sell a lot of junk cigars for cheap, but anything halfway decent is way overpriced.


----------



## FireRunner (Jul 19, 2012)

Sam_Whang said:


> Hey guys -- need some advice
> 
> I've been buying a ridiculous amount of cigars at the local B&B and I've super wary of buying online -- where would you guys recommend I shop?? Box of 1964 Padron Imperials are close to $500 at the shop but $380 online pretty much everywhere -- I want to support my shop for individual smokes but for box purchases I'd like to save some money
> 
> ...


If I may make a suggestion. I live in DC where there's plenty of cigar shops. 90% of the time we head to this one shop because the prices are decent and the service is great. We spend on average $300-$500 a month there and the owner gives us major discounts. Often times we'll get 15-20% off our purchase and she'll even give us free cigars. We've also gotten free magazines and other assortments. Not sure how many shops are near you, but if you can build a strong relationship with the owner/manager sometimes they'll treat you well


----------



## Gordo1473 (Dec 1, 2012)

I've ordered from cigar.com, smallbatch,ci and few others and never had a problem. Only problem I have is I but much more than I have time to smoke


----------



## orca99usa (May 23, 2008)

Online shops I have bought from and had good experiences with all:

Cigars International
Cigar Bid
Famous Cigar
Cigar Monster
Holt's
Atlantic Cigar
Cigar Auctioneer
Cigar Fox
Taboo Cigars
Cigar.com
CVM Cigars

Don't bother:
Thompson Cigars - Telemarketing calls started before I got my first (and as it turns out, last) order. Took almost a year for the calls to stop, calls were daily for more than six months, sometimes several times in the same day. For some reason they have started sending me catalogs again.


----------



## TJB (Dec 10, 2012)

Cigarplace.biz has dollar shipping twice a month and their prices cannot be beat. They don't have an auction like the others but honestly what you normally get for an auction price is close to what these guys sell a regular price.  If you join their mailing list they have discount codes all the time and have padron bundles and codes. Great customer service as well.


----------



## Sam_Whang (Jan 7, 2013)

Thanks again for all the help guys -- seems as it everyone has had pretty good experience with every online site except THOMPSON -- I do believe in supporting the local B&B cause they often do have smokes that you CAN'T get online or charge an arm and a leg for -- my local shop sold me a box of Fuente Sharks #77 for $300 and Liga 9's Belicoso for $280 

But for the most part everyday smokes I'm gonna be buying online now


----------



## orca99usa (May 23, 2008)

Sam_Whang said:


> I do believe in supporting the local B&B cause they often do have smokes that you CAN'T get online or charge an arm and a leg for


I completely agree. The local B&Ms have value. They give you an experience you can't get elsewhere (at least the ones with smoking areas). Unfortunately my favorite B&M bit the dust due to the weak economy, and I have yet to replace it.

I buy singles at the B&M, quantity buys from online vendors.


----------



## Bruck (Jan 8, 2013)

TJB said:


> Cigarplace.biz has dollar shipping twice a month and their prices cannot be beat. They don't have an auction like the others but honestly what you normally get for an auction price is close to what these guys sell a regular price. If you join their mailing list they have discount codes all the time and have padron bundles and codes. Great customer service as well.


Tnx for the tip on cigarplace. They do have pretty good prices & selection.


----------



## HIM (Sep 12, 2012)

Just to add a few I didnt see mentioned that have been good for me....

Cigar Hustler - best LP samplers around PERIOD!!
Superior Cigars
Top Quality Cigars
Egars
Serious Cigars
Birmingham Cigars


----------



## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

C.I, Holt's, JR, Jack Schwartz, Two Guys, Old Virginia Tobacco,Famous,Mike's, Tampa Sweethearts, there are more i am forgetting.
Stopped smoking Non Cubans a while back. But those are the top 9 or 10 i always used.


----------



## tatuaje09 (Feb 2, 2013)

I like cbid. Can't beat their combined shipping prices. Just be careful you don't get into a bidding war, or else you could end up overpaying.


----------



## orca99usa (May 23, 2008)

tatdiesel said:


> I like cbid. Can't beat their cobined shipping prices. Just be careful you don't get into a bidding war, or else you could end up overpaying.


Agree on both counts. I normally stick to the auctions in which they have numerous lots for sale, and I have bought a few things through free fall. In the latter, I get a price in my head that I want to pay, and if the free fall reaches that price I bite.


----------



## Bruck (Jan 8, 2013)

orca99usa said:


> Agree on both counts. I normally stick to the auctions in which they have numerous lots for sale, and I have bought a few things through free fall. In the latter, I get a price in my head that I want to pay, and if the free fall reaches that price I bite.


I've used cbid's free fall a few times. To get the lowest price, just watch it run through a few cycles, note the minimum (it doesn't go down to the min on every cycle), then on the next cycle, click when it hits the min.

Here's a handy website for price calibration:

CBid Completed Auctions

(strictly take it or leave it - I don't make any claims about accuracy)


----------



## nfusion770 (Apr 1, 2011)

TJB said:


> Cigarplace.biz has dollar shipping twice a month and their prices cannot be beat. They don't have an auction like the others but honestly what you normally get for an auction price is close to what these guys sell a regular price. If you join their mailing list they have discount codes all the time and have padron bundles and codes. Great customer service as well.


They are my go to shop really. Their stock is the only downside so I try to set up alerts to be proactive.


----------



## TTecheTTe (Jun 10, 2012)

Surprised not to see coronacigar.com listed. Alhough I've never had to use it, their return policy can't be beat. Corona & Mike's are my go to for great, cheap bundles that I love when I smoke continously 'round the clock or when working. My online go to is my local B&M, seriouscigars.com, a venerable Houston retailer.

Have been wary of CI/Cbid as I do not know enough to insure that I will end up getting bands that they have purchased and reblended, and don't want to research every stick for that purpose. As far as my regular marcas for which I can be confident, I haven't found a price advantage. Will give it try, one day.


----------



## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

Gordo1473 said:


> Only problem I have is I but much more than I have time to smoke


Although I have been trying, I fail to see a "problem" here. :noidea: ound:



orca99usa said:


> *Don't bother:
> Thompson Cigars - Telemarketing calls started before I got my first (and as it turns out, last) order. Took almost a year for the calls to stop, calls were daily for more than six months, sometimes several times in the same day. For some reason they have started sending me catalogs again.*


It is like they are agents in the FBI or something. Move 3 states away and change your phone #, 3 months later they are calling and sending catalogs. If you ever need anyone located the good folks at Thompson's can probably help you. :frusty:


----------



## TJB (Dec 10, 2012)

Bruck said:


> Tnx for the tip on cigarplace. They do have pretty good prices & selection.


No problem. I actually use their site to see what the cigar box I want costs to make sure I don't over bid on the auctions. Glad I could help!


----------



## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

Dread said:


> Pipesandcigars.com is by far the best in my opinion


They sell Sharks for $23 a clip. Seems greedy to me.


----------



## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

orca99usa said:


> I completely agree. The local B&Ms have value. They give you an experience you can't get elsewhere (at least the ones with smoking areas). Unfortunately my favorite B&M bit the dust due to the weak economy, and I have yet to replace it.
> 
> I buy singles at the B&M, quantity buys from online vendors.


i support my local for singles as well, but they too like to bang the customer out when a htf comes through.


----------



## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

Bruck said:


> Tnx for the tip on cigarplace. They do have pretty good prices & selection.


their prices are good, but ALOT of what I want is sold out.


----------



## blaled (Sep 14, 2012)

Cigars At Your Price and Nice Ash Cigars. Same people, two different websites.

Great service, great prices. Overall great experience every time I call them!


----------



## FireRunner (Jul 19, 2012)

orca99usa said:


> I completely agree. The local B&Ms have value. They give you an experience you can't get elsewhere (at least the ones with smoking areas). Unfortunately my favorite B&M bit the dust due to the weak economy, and I have yet to replace it.
> 
> I buy singles at the B&M, quantity buys from online vendors.


Not to hi-jack this thread. But, I noticed you're in the Las Vegas area. My brother and I were there last spring for ReCON but only found one cigar store. It was in a mall. Any good cigar bars in LV near the strip?


----------



## Damselnotindistress (Aug 7, 2011)

The online vendors I like and use the most are Cigar International, cigar.com, Mikes Cigars, and I have sporadically ordered from Famous, Direct, Cigar Place, and Serious Cigars...also Finck Cigar Company in San Antonio, Texas for their great house brands like Lamb's Club, Havana Blend, and so on. 'Twas lovely experiences with all of them! :tu


----------



## Madlying (May 10, 2011)

CI/Cbid's shipping has been really weak lately.


----------



## ezlevor (Oct 29, 2012)

Yeah, my cbid order was supposed to go out Thursday, but went out yesterday. I'm assuming it was because of the giant winter storm that rolled through the east coast though.


----------



## Btubes18 (Aug 21, 2011)

I am going to say Puff.com!!!! Seriously, the WTS/WTT forum is great and you can find some great deals. Check it out!


----------



## ezlevor (Oct 29, 2012)

Ugh... once I have access!


----------



## jd123541 (Nov 14, 2012)

I typically buy from CI but find alot of the times the sticks I get are really green or really dried out. Either way I rest them and it works out. Their customer service is pretty good, I had gotten a terrible bundle of something about a year ago, I dont remember what they were but the draw was so tight they were unsmokable. Returned no problem


----------



## shaun341 (Dec 21, 2012)

I like cigarplace.biz but lately i have been using famoussmoke, been getting some decent deals on stuff that is on sale and using a coupon with it.


----------



## CarnivorousPelican (Jan 25, 2013)

Just a tip.. I went through every authorized retailer for distributors and looked them up for the cigars I wanted then I book marked those that are online then have a call list. I check them twice a week and noticed something some will gouge on certain brands, but may also have great prices for different brands. So, I check them all and keep a spread sheet of prices.. What I would like to do is actually parse these websites and make a web crawler to grab the prices every day. Many provide RSS feeds, but I don't know how reliable the RSS feeds are for stock. Many also will keep stock not online so you have to call if you want some brands... Since many use Wordpress or sometype of CMS it shouldn't be to bad to parse if you have the time... You can also sign up for their newsletters or just load them into your rss viewer/reader. The thing about this is you can come up with metrics or graphs mapping out online pricing of cigars... It is as bad as having one online retailer charging 150% above MSRP and another having a sale at MSRP or below. That doesn't mean though that the next week it could be the other way around. It becomes a waiting game really waiting for the prices to fall within the tolerances. I don't see this any different than any other commodity and those of us who are day traders know the name of the game. I bet if you made a web crawler and scaled all the press reviews etc on certain cigars and the time those reviews are released in conjunction with the supply and pricing of those same reviewed cigars you would see a correlation in the market. Which makes me wonder if a campaign of disinformation could manipulate the market theoretically.. Not that I would ever do anything as such just intrigued by psychological elements that artificially inflate the prices of cigars...


----------



## CarnivorousPelican (Jan 25, 2013)

You could say the best price for cigar is the best kept secret, because as that cigar becomes more known the laws of supply and demand take over. So, everyone going around saying OpusX OpusX Padron Padron etc is just artificially increasing the price of those cigars, but the price is what the market will bare. So, if everyone releases a list of their personal cigar shops where they buy the same thing will happen again. I guess this is where having friends comes into play hence why it is a good idea to form relationships with B&M's etc..


----------



## Jeepnokc (Apr 14, 2014)

Thanks for input on other places to order.

I have always bought from local retailer and just tried my first online purchase with Cigars International Experts and it was total nightmare. The guy has no clue about customer service and basically dared me to post a review so I am doing it. I have ordered many items online without any difficulty until now. I place my order and they process my credit card and it is approved. Three days later get email from ICE saying the address doesn't match to which I immediately respond via email which is what they tell you to do at the bottom of their email and there isn't a number listed. Seven days later, receive another email that my credit card had been approved. Two days later I receive email from ICE telling me my order had been cancelled with no phone number listed and the line to respond to email if questions. I respond once again with email telling them that I had responded and had heard nothing else from them and that I still want cigars. ICE responds that they sent several emails and I didn't respond and that they had asked me to call their office at a certain number. This is first time they sent a number. At this point I realized that they have charged my credit card twice and I want a written record so I send another email showing that they hadn't sent any emails other than the one I responded to and asked them to send me the cigars and take one of the charges off. ICE responds basically saying it is my fault and that I could have gotten number from the website (remember, the email told me to respond to email) and that they are refunding my money and this is the best part* If I post any reviews, they will post all the emails.* I run a small business and if there is a problem with a credit card (remember...mine was approved both times before they cancelled my order), I would call the customer. I don't normally post bad reviews of places but when someone threatens me if I post a review....I will always post one.


----------



## Tgs679 (Mar 2, 2014)

I like to use Atlantic for online and phone orders very friendly and good prices.


----------



## Luke.Sodergren (Dec 27, 2011)

Honestly, I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but Tampahumidor.com has a great selection and they are great prices, some of the best I have seen actually. You can also spend $50 on a VIP card and get 10% off all purchases for the year. Not as known for cigars, but I have bought quite a bit through them and have great experiences.


----------



## beercritic (Feb 13, 2011)

I'm surprised not see ***************.com above. Got a box of Añejo 46 for $199.95. Don't bother looking, they were gone when I decided to snag another box. They are the only place that sells Oba Oba by Perdomo. Dirt cheap, but need a year's nap before getting really good.

I just started piping and tried 4Noggins and Pipes&Cigars. I'm pleased.


----------



## beercritic (Feb 13, 2011)

Best
Cigar
Prices
Dot
Com was clobbered in the previous post.


----------



## Charger Fan (Feb 27, 2014)

Sam_Whang said:


> Hey guys -- need some advice
> 
> I've been buying a ridiculous amount of cigars at the local B&B *and I've super wary of buying online* -- where would you guys recommend I shop?? Box of 1964 Padron Imperials are close to $500 at the shop but $380 online pretty much everywhere -- I want to support my shop for individual smokes but for box purchases I'd like to save some money
> 
> ...


Wary of shopping on-line. Me too. I use Famous. As soon as you complete an order it kicks you out ( you need to log in again) the message it provides says: "We don't store your credit card number". So every time you order you need to type card number in a again, which is no big deal considering what happened at Target.

Also never use an ATM card for ordering. Always a credit card. Easier to fight if identity theft hits.


----------



## lukem (Apr 5, 2014)

So far I've used CBID and received their order right on time today. I've also used CI and Famous whose orders will be here Wednesday. A good friend of mine also recommended Serious Cigars but I haven't ordered from them personally.


----------



## Goatmilk (Jan 2, 2012)

I'm with the others that have said Cigar.com when it comes to purchases that aren't HTF sticks. I like the fact that I can email them and they'll give me their best price or I can tell them what type of cigars I would like and they are willing to put together a sampler for me.


----------



## WNYTony (Feb 12, 2014)

Closest B&M to me is about an hour and a half so I do most of my buying online.
I generally go with samplers or 5 packs to get some variety and try sticks and then I may grab a box if it's a good price.
I've only hit the devil site once or twice, but I do hit Famous, their auction site and the Monster quite a bit. It's just as tempting as cBid when you can combine free shipping and tack on a coupon for free stogies and they throw me a freebie every now and then.


----------



## MDSPHOTO (Sep 10, 2013)

Cigarplace.biz- $1 shipping the first day of every month and their low prices allow a great way to try singles without breaking the bank.

Famous Smoke Shop- 15% off and free shipping over $50 if you type in BOTLORG

Atlantic- Great regular prices on singles, 5-packs, & boxes and the highest quality samplers on the web

CigarHustler-Great RoMa Craft selection, always has a great deal and willing to develop custom samplers for large groups. If the leaders of PUFF would allow it we should ask him to put together a sampler just for us! I worked with him to develop a sampler just for the members of another cigar forum I used to visit.


----------



## elricfate (Mar 2, 2013)

Surprised everyone is mentioning Famous but no one is mentioning CigarMonster, their outlet deal site. Every 11 and 11 there's a mashup, on fridays there are mega mashups that's the entire week of deals left, etc. I've picked up some great deals there.


----------



## WNYTony (Feb 12, 2014)

elricfate said:


> Surprised everyone is mentioning Famous but no one is mentioning CigarMonster, their outlet deal site. Every 11 and 11 there's a mashup, on fridays there are mega mashups that's the entire week of deals left, etc. I've picked up some great deals there.


Oh yeah - I mentioned and use this alot. If you order on the Monster it is free shipping. You can place an order on the regular site and use a coupon for extra sticks and then go to the Monster and do your order there and it all combines for the free shipping from the Monster. The mashups are great but they are usually only 5 packs and lots of people here look for boxes I think.

You ever use the Name Your Price on the Monster ? I've tried and only ever got 1 to go thru that I remember (box of Padrons) and it was around 20-25% off the regular site price, but sometimes 20% wouldn't get accepted. I don't have as much luck with that as the Auctioneer.


----------



## kcviper (Mar 15, 2014)

Got an order in today from cigarsatyourprice.com Very competitive prices (some of the best I've seen) on Tatuaje's and Liga #9 and T52's. Andrew is a forum member and was super nice to help me know what was in stock and when to order. Order arrived quickly and as expected. Very happy with them and will order again!!


----------

